Sick Cow? Please Help

[MOClubbyGuy]

I have a cow that had her calf 2 weeks ago that came up today showing signs of an illness of some sorts. I need your opinion asap. She is walking around pasture slow and causiously and occasionally stumbles a bit. Cow also has visable blood on her lip however is not vomiting or spitting up blood. Calf was quite small for the bw of bull it is out of and cow has excessive amounts of milk. Enough the calf can not keep up. Cow did not come to trough to eat this morning and feed is still in trough in evening of morning feeding which is unusual. Your thoughts?

I have a vet coming out soon but I wanted to thoughts and experiences of SP nation. Thanks

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

Also temperatures have been 100+ for a series of days here.

 

[GoWyo]

Retained placenta?  Did you see her clean out after calving?

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

Just took her into vet and she has a temperature of 106 deg. She got lots of drugs pumped into her and is now under 2 fans, 2 misters, and a porta cool to get her body temp down. Fingers are crossed

 

[flacowman]

sounds like retained placenta or a some tearing during the birth.  Caling the vet was the best thing you could have done.  Did he by chance give oxytocin to help placenta shed?  If it's been 2 weeks she's had plenty of time to get that sick from any type of complication that may have arisen, whether it was noticeable or not at the time of birth

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

Gave a shot of banamine, draxtin and lutalyse to help in lowering of temp, passing of extra placenta if any, and any infections. Just checked temp at 11 pm and down to 101.2 so I kicked her out of the barn to stretch her legs. I will get her back in barn under fans and misters again for next couple days as heat is suppose to be well over 100 deg and then maybe some relief with some cooler temps starting sunday

 

[CJM]

We have had cows that milk to hard for the size of calf and Mastitus is a possible problem.  Feel her bag if you can if any of her quarters are hot or hard that is probably the problem.

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

I just went out and felt her quarters and she has 1 quarter that is quite hard. It appears it has not been nursed on for some time now. What is the best method of treatment?

 

[firesweepranch]

I just went out and felt her quarters and she has 1 quarter that is quite hard. It appears it has not been nursed on for some time now. What is the best method of treatment?

Milk that quarter out! Make sure you strip it, and get the calf to nurse off that quarter.

 

[hamburgman]

Headgate, milk stool, bucket, and energy drink to keep you up.  Old timers used to stay up all night milking out a mastitis.  I would caution against having the calf suck on that side till you strip it out well, calves easily get sick from mastitis milk, definitely seems like retained placenta.

 

[CJM]

Mastitus is an infection that got in through the opening of the tit.  If it is mastitus Antibiotics will help you may have lost that quarter all ready your main goal now is to keep it from going to the other quarters.  Keep an eye on her and make sure the other tits stay milked out.

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

I hand milked her this morning quite a bit until I couldnt no longer. Milk came out hot, clear, and contained dark yellow chunks. I have a friend that is going to let me use their portable milking machine this afternoon so I will definitely get her completely milked out tonight. Vet prescribed me LA200 which was given this morning IM.

 

[CAB]

Sounds like mastitis and what you are doing is fine, but I would also get some mastit us tubes which contain antibiotics for the bacteria and inject the quarter according to instructions. I can't remember if it is once per day or twice per day for so many days. It will help immensely.

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

Won't the calf nurse it out?

 

[CAB]

Yes & no. The calf is not nursing it out now B/C it doesn't like the "bad" quarter. It can tell there is a problem, but eventually you'll want it to, to get the quarter "going " again. It won't hurt the calf. You have to treat the quarter. Dairies keep mastitis tubes on hand @ ll times. If you are close to any dairies stop in and ask them what their best treatment strategies are.

 

[Woody]

I worked for a small dairy when I was just out of high school. What you are describing sounds like watery mastitis. It's very hard to treat. The chunky version is more controllable. The watery type would explaine her symptoms. It's more of an attack on her body than the cheese style. Get her on antibiotics and strip her out twice a day. Keep her on a high energy feed, she will need it to help fight this off. Best of luck to you

 

[MOClubbyGuy]

Took her to my vet last night and decided to keep her there until she gets better. Last night, we treated the infected qtr. Milked her out with very little produced due to the amount of inflammation. She is in good hands. Hoping for the best!